Indian Planned War exercises in 2012

India to Conduct About 20 War Exercises This Year with Top Nations and Neighbors

Posted on: January 31, 2012

India is all set to enhance its military ties with top nations and neighbors as it plans to hold around 20 bilateral wargames in 2012. These multi-national military-to-military exercises are aimed at sharpening the skills of the troops for operational preparedness and increasing interoperability. The wargames will involve top nations such as US, Russia, France and Britain besides the neighboring Indian countries.

Most of these wargames will focus on anti-insurgency and anti-terrorism operations since India has considerable experience in these areas. Besides, the diverse terrain of India and its highly experienced armed forces have always inspired other nations to indulge in such wargames. The first exercise this year will be with Singapore at Babina in Uttar Pradesh in March. During the India-Singapore exercise, to be called ‘Bold Kurukshetra’, both the nation’s mechanized forces along with tanks will be pitted in a mock battle in an urban scenario.

After the ‘Bold Kurukshetra’, the mechanized forces of the Indian Army will hold ‘Yudh Abhyas’ in Rajasthan this year, when they will both field their tanks and armoured personnel carrier. For the first time in Indo-US wargames, US will deploy their tanks in ‘Yudh Abhyas' scheduled to be held in the Mahajan field firing ranges in the Rajasthan desert in March. India will field its Russian-origin BMPs along with tanks for the wargame. 

Besides exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas’, the Special Forces of India and the US will also test their skills in a mountain exercise codenamed 'Vajra Prahar in Chaubatia in Uttarakhand in August this year. The navies of the two countries are also scheduled to exercise with each other in 2012. Indian Infantry troops from the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles regiment will also fly to California to engage their American counterparts in the Exercise Shatrujeet.

While similar exercises are planned with the armies of France and Russia, most other exercises are still being programmed while the venues and dates will be revealed soon. The other nations to join the exercises this year will be Mongolia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar, Australia, and Central Asian nations. 

Top global powers like US, Russia and the European nations are keen to extract from the reservoir of experience which the Indian troops have in terms of insurgency operations in the most hostile terrains. The Indian troops have braved it in the harshest environment including the high-altitude terrain of Jammu and Kashmir as well as jungles of the North eastern region. In 2011 too, India had held 16 military exercises with other friendly nations such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia. 

According to Indian Army officials, these exercises with the foreign armies are an indispensable way to further diplomatic military ties and helps inter-operability in the future. In 2011, India had held 16 military exercises with other friendly nations a few months back, India held its first ever army exercise with French Army called "Shakti-2011" at Chaubatia in Uttarakhand.

While most of the foreign nations are eager conduct joint exercises with India due to its varied terrains and the exemplary operational experience of the Indian armed forces, joint exercises with China are still to materialize due to its tumultuous defence relationship with India. As for joint exercises, India and China have held two such exercises in the last four years with the last exercise in 2009

http://www.defencenow.com/news/494/india-to-conduct-about-20-war-exercises-this-year-with-top-nations-and-neighbors.html